King's Cage
by xZexe
Summary: Bagheera would give anything to have one more chance to tell Khan how much he loved him. Events take place at the Zoo. One-shot.


**Hey there! Coming up with a new one-shot ( sorry, I'm only good at writing short sequences for now, but will probably try to get involved into a larger.. thing (: ). I had to write this for my English class, so sorry if it's a little TOO short.. Anyway, hope you'll enjoy this and please leave a review ! Cheers ! :***

 **King's Cage**

I push the metal door and I find it open - well, this is strange. I however jump out of my cage, on the sandy ground, and a small amount of dust quickly spreads around me. I look around, in the black night, but I don't see any move. Instead, I hear a snoring sound filling the place and I know everybody ( except for me, of course ) is asleep.

I start walking, softly touching the ground with my paws, but I don't know where I'm going. I've never got outside my cage all alone. Should I go explore the small park, with the few big trees and green grass ? I could creep up to there and finally have some fun. But I turn my head to the right to see a big, almost opulent, yet so lonely cage, waiting in the dark and my paws involuntarily head to that place.

Its door is also wide open and the metal bars are shining in the moonlight. But his cage is empty. Destitute of his restless march, while watching over the other animals, his hard breaths, while sleeping. Destitute of _him_. Where's the King gone ? Maybe he decided to go for a night walk - after all, he deserves some time alone with all this stress.

I jump in. A faded scent of him is all I am left with and his absence makes me realize I miss him. I seldom get to be in his presence, mostly during our shows or after they end. And when I accidentally meet his wonderful amber eyes, it seems like my voice has suddenly disappeared, gone in some places I can't reach it and that a stupid mutter has taken its place, making me quickly run away from there. I want to tell him. I want it so bad !

' _Why so late, Bagheera ? '_

I quickly turn around at the King's words and I fall back, until I touch the cold metal. He makes firm steps as he is getting closer and closer to me, and I press my back even more against the rigid bars.

I know he would never hurt me there outside, in the middle of the day, when everybody sees him. But now.. Now it's different. I broke into his house, I desecrated his place. And now.. nobody's here to see.

His orange fur gets some additional stripes, as the metal bars' shadows are covering his body. He eventually reaches the corner where I've receded and I feel my heart beating so hard I think it is going to rip my chest and fall down, on the grayish floor.

His nose stops inches away from my muzzle and he sits down, in front of me. My muscles begin to quiver and a cold sweat seeps down my neck, sending a chill down my spine. I look straight into his glistening eyes as the steam is filling the small gap between us.

 _' Don't worry. '_

He places his paw on my chest, in a soft touch.

 _' I'n't gon' hurt you. '_

Our fangs bump into each others while his lips press against my mouth and his hot breath enters up to the farthest depths of my throat. I close my eyes and, as he doesn't pull back, I wrap my paws around his neck.

 _' My panther.. '_

 _Yes !_

He leans back and I collapse over him, on his chest, then he grips my head and presses his muzzle against my forehead.

 _' I love you. '_

I open my eyes and find myself lain on the frigid metal floor. I start crying, lonely sobbing in the night. In his cage. Crying for him.

 _No! No!_

My moans get louder and I'm afraid of being heard by the others. But no one answeres me and I feel abandoned, tangled in the dark mantle, where I can't be seen.

Cold tears are dripping on my paws while I'm scratching the floor with my claws, and I feel like, if he was here right now, I would tell him. I would tell him how, every time, the thought of him would turn my sadness into happiness. A dark night into a bright day. I would tell him how much I needed his gaze, his care for me. How bad I wanted to be his panther. How much I loved him.

I feel a sharp pain in my heart as I'm still embracing the metal, then I lift my wet gaze to the sky, to the millions of shining dots that are covering it, to the imposing White Queen, as asking for help. As asking for his touch, his lips, his breath. Asking him back.

But I know tomorrow is not going to be the same. The rest of this week, the next one, and the one after that. The next month, year. This place. Me. I'm not going to be the same. The pain gets insupportable, and I feel I'm about to die.

 _No. No! It can't be real._

I know that, no matter what I do from now, how much I want him now, I know I'm not going to ever meet his gaze again. I'm not getting him back. _He's gone._


End file.
